113 Architecture questions - How can costs be optimised through sensible planning?
How can costs be optimised through sensible planning?
A building consists of countless individual parts that fulfil different functions due to their special properties. The aim is always to create liveable, conditioned spaces to optimally support people in their activities. As diverse as the users' requirements of their environment are, the means to fulfil them should be just as simple.
A grid sets the pace
The choice of grid is a central element of planning. When determining this basic framework, countless influencing factors such as transport sizes, building materials, parking space sizes, spans, series production, flexibility, design of the building corners and ends, appearance, sub-grids and much more must be taken into account.
Space organisation
A well-organised space is characterised above all by short distances - be it when arranging sanitary items near shafts to keep pipe runs as short as possible or when using two-legged systems. A clear structure without wall gaps and compact rooms with a good ratio of volume to wall area also help to save costs.
Standardised products
The use of standardised building components is probably one of the oldest inventions. For example, bricks are decisive for room sizes and provide a planning grid. If this grid is not adhered to, the building blocks have to be split, which is costly and also weakens the bond.
Serial production
Henry Ford's famous sentence "Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants, as long as it is black." still applies. still applies. The reuse of previously developed systems knows no bounds. In planning, this starts with flat types, cycles, storeys and extends to entire buildings. Special requests and customised solutions should be taken into account from the outset or avoided altogether.
Example room modules
The great advantage of prefabricated rooms is the short construction time as the individual elements only need to be moved and already contain all the installations. Production takes place in production facilities regardless of weather conditions and can therefore be easily scheduled.
In general, the larger the modules are, the less flexible they become. This limits the use of large elements on small and angled plots. Keeping costs down and generating added value through architectural quality will probably continue to depend on the creativity and commitment of architects in the future.
